Jia Pan Pan

Basic Profile

Jia Pan Pan (Chinese: 加盼盼, studbook 987) is a male giant panda born on October 13, 2015 at the Toronto Zoo in Canada. He weighed 181.7 grams at birth, the larger of the twin cubs born to mother Er Shun (二顺, studbook 646) and father Da Mao (大毛, studbook 645). His twin sister is Jia Yueyue (加悦悦, studbook 988). They were the first giant pandas born in Canada.

Naming

On March 7, 2016, at a naming ceremony at Toronto Zoo attended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, he was officially named “Jia Panpan” (加盼盼), meaning “Canada’s Hope.” The name was chosen through a 20-day public online vote held from February 8, 2016 (Chinese New Year), with seven candidate name sets. The cubs’ birth date, October 13, 2015, coincided with the 45th anniversary of Canada-China diplomatic relations, described by both countries’ leaders as a “wonderful and delightful coincidence.”

Life in Canada

Jia Panpan spent his early years at the Toronto Zoo. On March 19, 2018, he and Jia Yueyue moved to the Calgary Zoo. During their time at Calgary Zoo, fresh bamboo was airlifted from Sichuan to ensure their dietary needs were met.

Return to China

On January 12, 2020, Jia Panpan and Jia Yueyue returned to China aboard a flight to Chengdu, following the terms of the conservation agreement. After a one-month quarantine at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, they were integrated into China’s captive breeding program.

Chengdu Zoo

Around the end of 2022, Jia Panpan was transferred to Chengdu Zoo, where he currently resides. He participates in public education programs focused on giant panda ecology and conservation, serving as a living symbol of successful international conservation cooperation.